


Tragedy in Salem

by Saphira Navi (ForeverNerdyZeldaFan)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Historical, Historical References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25492333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverNerdyZeldaFan/pseuds/Saphira%20Navi
Summary: Anyone heard of National History Day or NHD? I made it through regionals and up to state. This was my project.





	Tragedy in Salem

“If any man or woman be a witch, that is, hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit, they shall be

put to death.”[1]

It’s the year 1692, and two young children, Elizabeth Paris and Abigail Williams, start having fits. They experience strange hallucinations and act out of the ordinary.[2] A doctor, William Griggs, comes to look at them. He diagnoses them as “bewitched.” Shortly thereafter, the court convicts three women of bewitching the girls.[3] These witches are said to commit maleficia, or evil acts, and blamed for the horrors that Salem has encountered in the year.[4] However, it was because of a faulty justice system, that the Salem Witch Trials were such a tragedy. 

#  **The Witch-Hunt Begins**

Three wrongfully accused women stood trial for torturing the young children. Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba all awaited trial. Tituba, being a slave in the home of Abigail and Elizabeth, told the children fantastical stories of her homeland. Since this is against puritan beliefs, this made her a prime suspect in the trial. Both Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good had a connection with the Paris family and denied the accusations. However, believing in magic herself, Tituba waivered and under the pressure of the psychological battering of the judges, and falsely confessed. 

After Good and Osborne were examined by the court, Tituba claimed a man in a dark suit, the Devil, had come to her. When asked about his reasons for meeting her, Tituba replied “He bid me serve him.” Tituba described a book that the man possessed. Tituba admitted that she signed the book, saying the Devil had granted her powers afterwards. She was now a servant of the Devil. Next, Tituba claimed to have seen Good’s and Osborne’s name on the same page. She said that there were more witches than the three women at court. This was too much for all present. Having all the evidence wanted, all three women were hanged.

Filled with fear of more witches yet to come, Salem started a massive witch-hunt designed to find and kill all witches. Two hundred, in total, were blamed of witchcraft.[5] Twenty people, the youngest at age three, and two dogs would die through execution in Salem.[6] Most executions were held at Gallows Hill, where the accused were hanged.[7] Others would die in prison or stay in prison awaiting trial.[8]

#  **Oyer and Terminer: Judicial Faults**

The Court of Oyer (hear) and Terminer (determine) was run by the Court of Assistants. The group consisted of a Governor, Deputy Governor, a small jury, and other assistants. Most of the assistants had little to no experience with legal matters during the time of the Witch Trials.[9] This was a flaw that greatly affected the trials as most of the judges and/or the assistants would base their conclusion unfairly, not having the right education for the job.

This special court was set up to find and execute all witches in Salem. If Salem’s typical court, or the Superior Court of Judicature, found enough evidence to hold an accusatory trial, the “witch” would be sent to the Court of Oyer and Terminer. As the Superior Court of Judicature held the initial examination, the accusatory trial held by the Court of Oyer and Terminer was basically a “guilty until proven innocent” court. An accused witch had to have very strong evidence to prove his or her innocence.[10] This flaw is why many failed the inspections of the Court of Oyer and Terminer. 

One of the judges sending these “witches” to the Court of Oyer and Terminer was Samuel

Sewall. Sewall was born in 1652 and immigrated to Massachusetts in 1661. In 1692, he was appointed to the Superior Court of Judicature for the Salem Witch Trials. This Court was later changed to the

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[11] He sent many to their deaths before the end of the Trials in 1693.[12] Sewall had experience in a legal system as a magistrate in 1684 however.[13] Sadly, this was not the case with most of the other judges. 

Not only were the judges unfair, but the evidence was unreliable. When accusing someone of being a witch, most people used “spectral evidence.” This means that if a person claimed to have had a dream or vision of the accused’s spirit, or specter, the dream/vision was used as evidence against the accused witch.[14] It would be easy to lie or take revenge on another villager. Also, as dreams are rarely remembered vividly, dreams are not reliable. Still, the courts used this evidence to convict a person of witchcraft. There were also tests to prove if the accused was guilty. These tests were the touch test, water test, the Lord’s Prayer, and the witches mark. 

First, the touch test would determine if the accused witch could cure the victims. Supposedly, if the “witch” touched the victim and the fits stopped, the accused person was a witch.[15] This evidence could indicate something else though. The victim might just be frozen in fear and identified the fear as a witch's touch. 

Second, the water test was a way to determine whether to hold a trial. The suspected witch was bound and thrown in the water of a lake or river. If the person sank, they were not a witch, but nevertheless, dead. If they floated, they were a witch.[16] It is reasonable to think anyone subjected to the test sank due to being tied up. This test was built on speculation, not reason. 

Third, the Lord’s Prayer was a sacred prayer that the puritans had in their religion. They believed that the Devil and the Devil’s followers could not recite the prayer perfectly. If the accused stuttered, they were a witch.[17] Under pressure, it is likely that many stuttered and were hanged for this reason. 

Fourth was the witch’s mark. It was believed a witch would have a “Devil’s Mark” so that a familiar (cat, raven, “imp”, etc.) could suck out the human blood from the witch. If the mark did not bleed or the accused did not feel the pain as it was pricked, the mark was of the Devil. If a birth mark or mole was found somewhere on the accused’s body, they had the evidence of a witch.[18] As most marks would have been there since birth, it is odd this was used as evidence. 

The other evidence used was strange objects, confessions, or the victims reacting to the accused.[19] This was seen in the trial of Sarah Good and Mary Eafty. In the case of Good, it was reported that, “Good cause her to pinch the Children in their own persons.”[20] At the time, they believed that Sarah Good was causing another to hurt the children. In Mary Eafty’s case, another accused witch, Ann Putman, blamed Eafty of witchcraft. It is in the court case saying, “By & by Ann Putman said that was the woman, it was like her, and she told me her name.”[21] Most of this evidence was unreliable, and it was a major flaw in the justice system. Where so many lives were at stake, maybe some more consideration and fewer underqualified people in the judicial system would not have resulted in so much damage. 

#  **Aftermath**

The trials ended in 1693 when the newly appointed Governor Phipps’ wife was accused of witchcraft. Seeing how out of hand the trials had gotten, he tells William Blathwayt:

“I have also put a stop to the printing of any discourses one way or another, that may increase the needless disputes of people upon this occasion, because I saw a likelihood of kindling an inextinguishable flame if I should admit any public and open contests.”

Phipps had stopped the trials and created a new court, pardoning all the accused of their previous sentences. Names like Mary Easty, Edward Bishop, Sarah Bishop, Mary English, Phillip English, Reverend George Burroughs, Lydia Dustin, Susannah Martin, Dorcas Hoar, and Sarah More were pardoned. Even if they had already died, they no longer had a record against them for witchcraft.[22] It is odd that Phipps stopped publication of the events, unless he himself recognized the mistake, and was trying to right the wrong. The quote proves that it was not the people but the court that made the Trials such a tragedy. He even changed the court so that way the same mistake wouldn’t happen again. Phipps made the change because the court wasn’t trustworthy. Samuel Sewall also confessed to being guilty for the lives that were lost that year.[23] The judge himself was saying the system was weak. Sadly, of the people that accused others in the trials, Ann Putman Jr. was the only one to apologize publicly.[24]

**If not witches, then what?**

No one knows for sure what caused the strange behavior of the victims in the Salem Witch Trials. Was it people craving for attention? Did circumstances play a part? There is no definite reason found, but yes, circumstances like war, native attacks, and sickness may have been involved with the trials.

At the time, King William and Queen Mary were having a war, greatly affecting the colonies in early America.[25] Economical strain would have taxed the colonists to the limit. There was also the threat of natives attacking Salem, and a recent smallpox epidemic could have left villagers fatigued. Also, the year 1692 was an incredibly wet year allowing a fungus to grow in the rye and other wheat products. This fungus created muscle spasms and hallucinations along with a high temperature. These symptoms were not unlike the one described by the witnesses at the time.[26] Either way, it is easy to say that the events at the time could have had a large impact on the trials.

#  **Influences of the Trials**

Even today, America can relate to the Witch Trials. People today still speculate about each other. The Salem Witch trials were very important because they show how easily fear can disrupt a town, city, or country.[27] The Trials also had a large part in history as a killing of 20 innocents by a legal system rarely goes unnoticed by historians.

Maybe the larger impact is that today we still use the word witch-hunt. This term fits perfectly with the trials, as currently, it means “an intensive effort to discover and expose disloyalty, subversion, dishonesty, or the like, usually based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence.” This is most often a political term.[28] There have always been “witch-hunts” in history. These can be full blown wars fought, or just a minor post on social media about a conspiracy theory. Salem’s trials have also held to the imaginations of many, inspiring books, oral stories, and shows. This allows it to become a part of the everyday lives of kids and adults alike. The mystery and awe-inspiring fancies just can’t leave. This impacts all of America and the world after books are published everywhere.[29]

The tragedy was most of the Trials; however, some may have felt some triumph over finding a scapegoat for their afflictions. The real triumph was when the Trails ended. As it first was children complaining of fever, it soon became a hunt for witches with the special court of Oyer and Terminer. But, in the end, it all boils down to the faults of the court. 

[1] Smith, Gary. "Witchcraft Law up to the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692." 31 Oct. 2017

[2] Blumberg, Jess. "A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials", Smithsonian.com, 23 Oct. 2007

[3] The Salem Witch Trials: 1692-1693. Narrated by Willow Fengs, Simple History, 2017.

[4] Margulies, Philip, and Maxine Rosalar. "The Salem Witch Trials." “The Devil on Trial”, Houghton Mifflin Company+Boston, 2008, pp. 5-27.

[5] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[6] History.com. "Salem Witch Trials". August 28, 2018, A&E Television Networks, 4 Dec. 2011

[7] Margulies, Philip, and Maxine Rosalar. "The Salem Witch Trials." The Devil on Trial, Houghton Mifflin Company+Boston, 2008, pp. 5-27. 

[8] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[9] Smith, Gary. "Witchcraft Law up to the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692." 31 Oct. 2017

[10] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[11] Biographical Timeline. Samuel Sewall Papers, July 2006

[12] Sewall, Samuel. "August 1692." The Diary of Samuel Sewall, ns, vol. 1, 1692, pp. 94+. Abstract. 

[13] Biographical Timeline. Samuel Sewall Papers, July 2006

[14] CONNERREPORTING. "The Salem Witch Trials: When a Legal System Fails". The Salem Witch Trials: When a Legal System Fails,\2018,

[15] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[16] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[17] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[18] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[19] Legends of America. “Procedures, Courts & Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.”. 2003 

[20] Linder, Dougles O., Professor. "Records of the Trial and Execution of Sarah Good, 1692." Famous Trials, 1995 20 William, Woodward Eliot. Records of Salem witchcraft, Copied from the Original Documents. 1864. Cdl; americana, U of California Libraries, ucb:GLAD-33853429. Typescript. 

[21] William, Woodward Eliot. Records of Salem Witchcraft, Copied from the Original Documents. 1864. Cdl; americana, U of California Libraries, ucb:GLAD-33853429. Typescript

[22] Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. "Salem Witch Trials: Primary Sources." Salem Witch Trials: Primary Sources, History of Massachusetts Blog, 7 July 2018,

[23] Linder, Douglas O., Professor. "The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: An Account." Famous Trials

[24] M, Sam, et al. "Life after Death." The Salem Journal: The Aftermath, 2012,

[25] Blumberg, Jess. "A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials", Smithsonian.com, 23 Oct. 2007,

[26] USHistory. "Witchcraft in Salem." U.S. History Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium, Independence Hall Association in

Philadelphia, 2008

[27] Gill, Cassandra. "Why Were the Salem Witch Trials so Significant?" Oxford University Press Blog, Oxford UP, 13 Nov. 2016 

28 Harrison, DJ R. "What are the long term effects of the Salem Witch Trial?" Expert Answers, enotes, 2019, www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-long-term-effects-salem-witch-trial-777866.

[29] Dean, Michelle. "Why the Salem Witch Trials Sill Haunt the American Imagination." Why the Salem witch trials still haunt the American imagination, 30 Oct. 2015. The Gardian,


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